DMA Document

VOICE AND CELLO DUOS: A GUIDE FOR COMPOSERS AND PERFORMERS by JUSTIN DAVID DOUGHERTY (Under the Direction of David Starkweather) ABSTRACT The soprano and cello duo is a new and unexplored chamber music instrumentation. Because of the relative youth of the duo, composers and performers are not afforded the same historical and compositional insight into the function of the duo as in the case of traditional chamber music groups. Performers are limited in their programming options while composers have few works to reference when preparing to write a new work for the soprano and cello duo. Composers will find that a review of solo literature does not take into account the possibilities of musical interaction between the voice and cello when paired as a duo. Similarly, duo performers cannot enjoy the same mentorship with experienced performers that more established groups – string quartets, piano trios, etc. – have found with their own teachers and coaches. In 2010, the Counterpointe Duo (soprano Meredith Mecum and myself, cellist Justin Dougherty) commissioned four composers to write new works for the soprano and cello duo. The examination of four new works for soprano and cello by Dominick DiOrio, Brian D. Kelly, Steven J. Knell, and Bruce Trinkley in this document and the accompanying recording is intended to act as an aid to composers and performers. The explanations in this guide do not discuss the success in performance of the four works by DiOrio, Kelly, Knell, and Trinkley. Instead, excerpts from the four scores are analyzed to provide information for performers and composers regarding the performance and composition of future works for the soprano and cello duo. INDEX WORDS: cello, chamber music, composer, commission, duo, music criticism, new music, voice, soprano VOICE AND CELLO DUOS: A GUIDE FOR COMPOSERS AND PERFORMERS by JUSTIN DAVID DOUGHERTY B.M., The Pennsylvania State University, 2008 M.M., The Boston Conservatory, 2010 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS ATHENS, GEORGIA 2013 © 2013 Justin David Dougherty All Rights Reserved VOICE AND CELLO DUOS: A GUIDE FOR COMPOSERS AND PERFORMERS by JUSTIN DAVID DOUGHERTY Major Professor: David Starkweather Committee: Levon Ambartsumian David Haas Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia December 2013 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This document, ten years in the making, serves as the culmination of my formal education and could not have been completed without the encouragement and support of many. I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to all who have been with me through the writing process, most especially Megan (who read, commented on, and re-read far more drafts of this document than she had to), Ben (who has been a beacon of moral support), and Rhonda (who encouraged my musical exploration and is a constant source of inspiration, guidance, and love to me and so many young musicians). My love and admiration go to Meredith for her work in this project and all the others. To Dominick, Brian, Steve, and Bruce: it was an honor and privilege to perform, record, and write about the brilliant works you composed for the Duo. Many thanks go to Dr. Leonard V. Ball and those at the Dancz Center for New Music for providing space for the Duo to record, and to Brian for his work in the arduous process of engineering the recording. I must express my sincere thanks to the members of my advisory committee, Professor Levon Ambartsumian and Dr. David Haas, for all that they’ve taught me, and for aiding the completion of this document and this degree. Finally, I would be remiss if I did not thank Dr. David Starkweather for his work in the herculean tasks as my major professor and the head of my committee. The three years I spent at University of Georgia have been challenging and inspiring, and his efforts have helped make me a better, more analytical cellist. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................... iv LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................1 Need for the Study .......................................................................................3 Methodology................................................................................................5 Delimitations................................................................................................5 Review of Literature ....................................................................................6 Collaborators................................................................................................7 2 TEXTURE & TIMBRE.....................................................................................8 Thick Texture...............................................................................................9 Thin Texture ..............................................................................................12 "[Click here and type Subheading]" # Drones & Independent Solos .....................................................................17 Changes in Timbre # Timbre........................................................................................................19 Changes in Timbre Through Shifting Intensity .........................................20 Changes in Timbre Through Use of Extended Technique ........................21 3 RANGE & REGISTER ...................................................................................24 Wide Range Between Voice and Cello......................................................24 Use of Full Range & Register....................................................................28 v Register Exchange .....................................................................................30 4 RHYTHM ........................................................................................................33 Simple Rhythm ..........................................................................................33 Complex Rhythm.......................................................................................36 Independent Rhythm..................................................................................38 5 CONSIDERATIONS FOR PERFORMERS...................................................41 The Cellist..................................................................................................41 The Singer..................................................................................................43 The Duo: Matters of Stage Placement, Balance, and Blend......................45 6 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ..............................................................50 BIBLIOGRAHY................................................................................................................52 APPENDICES A LIST OF EXISTING REPERTORY ...............................................................54 B DOCUMENTATION OF REPRINT PERMISSION FOR MUSICAL EXAMPLES ....................................................................................................59 vi LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 2.1: “Clifton and a Lad’s Love,” mm. 45-51............................................................9 Figure 2.2: “Return of the Native,” mm. 15-17 .................................................................13 Figure 2.3: Hierarchical importance of individual lines in mm. 17-18, “Return of the Native” ...................................................................................................................14 Figure 2.4: Movement 2, mm. 27-28 .................................................................................17 Figure 2.5: Movement 2, mm. 1-9 .....................................................................................18 Figure 2.6: “And this is of a boy who sat in school,” mm. 143-152 .................................20 Figure 2.7: Movement 3, mm. 10-13 .................................................................................22 Figure 3.1: Movement 4, mm. 27-35 .................................................................................25 Figure 3.2: “And this is of a boy who sat in school,” mm. 171-187 .................................28 Figure 3.3: Futility, mm. 11-20..........................................................................................31 Figure 4.1: “Gay World,” mm. 54-59................................................................................34 Figure 4.2: “Thine eyes are fire, Timarion,” mm. 19-25 ...................................................37 Figure 4.3: Futility, mm. 60-65..........................................................................................39 Figure 4.4: Rhythmic divisions per beat in mm. 60-64 in Futility ....................................39 Figure 5.1: Movement 2, mm. 10-17 .................................................................................42 Figure 5.2: “Return of the Native, mm. 27-29...................................................................44 Figure 5.3: Suggested horizontal alignment of voice and cello.........................................45 Figure 5.4: Suggested angle of voice and cello to increase blend .....................................46 vii Figure

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